Smelting-furnace.



No. 737,487. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1908. 'l

E. RIVBROLI'.. SMELTING FURNAGB.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9. 1903. N0 MODEL.

No. 737,487. PA'IENTED AUG. 25, 1903.

E. RIVBROLL. SMELTING PURNACB.

ZUz'nesses.-

Inmo/Mor:

UN TTED STATES Patented August 25, 1903.

PATENT OEEICE.

SMELTING- FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,487, dated August25, 1903.

Application led March 9, 1903. Serial No. 146,993. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, ELEEGO RIVEROLL, a citizen of Mexico, residing at LosAngeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, haveinvented a new and useful Smelting-Furnace, of which the following is aspeciiication.

My invention relates to a smelting-furnace in which a smelting heat isproduced by means of liquid fuel, such as crude petroleum, and thefurnace while especially constructed with the object in View of smeltingiron ore may be used also in the smelting of other ores.V

Numerous attempts have been made heretofore to smelt iron ore by usingliquid fuel, such as crude oil; but such attempts have been failures ina commercial way, as in no case more than one hundred and fifty poundsof the charge has been reduced at any one time, and, moreover, coke orcharcoal has had to be introduced to the extent of ten per cent., orthereabout, in order to bring about the necessary chemical reaction.

Chief among the diiiculties of smelting iron ore by using liquid fuelwas the difficulty of getting rid of the oxygen in the iron ores and thedifficulty of securing proper application of the heat to the entirecharge of the ore being reduced.

One object of the present invention is to provide a furnace in whichiron ore may be successfully smelted by means of liquid-fuel burnersusing crude oil and Without using coke or charcoal.

Another object is to construct a furnace through which the ore is fed bygravity vpast a number of liquid-fuel burners and the liquid product isfinally discharged into a receiver.

Another object is to subject the ore to a gradually-increasingtemperature in its passage through the furnace, so that the ore isgradually reduced to the desired liquid state, the purer metal sinkingto the bottom and the slag floating to the top.

Another object is to so construct a furnace that the ore will not packup inside the furnace or clog around the burners, but in which the orewill be well spread out and the entire surface of the ore-body beexposed to the heat from the burners. The dames from the burnersinipinge directly against the ore, and a.

white heat is produced wherever the flame from the burners strike theore', and carbon dioxid is formed throughout the entirecombustion-chamber.

By constructing the furnace on inclined ground the cost of heavyfoundations is avoided, and by introducing the heat from the burners atvarious points along the body of the furnace a perfect control of theheat is secured, and the amount at various points along the furnace canbe lregulated as desired to suit the character of ore and the variousstages through Which the ore must pass in its travel through thefurnace.

Referring to the drawings, Figure I is a side elevation of the furnace.Fig. II is a front elevation of the furnace. Fig. III is a plan view ofthe crucible Withits surrounding adjacent walls, the upper part of thelower end of the furnace being removed. Fig. IV is a longitudinalvertical section through the furnace. Fig. V is a sectional view on lineV V, Fig. IV. Fig. VI is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectionalview of a portion of the furnace at a curve in the bottom.

The furnace comprises, essentially, an inclined chamber, in thisembodiment consisting of three contiguous sections 1, 2, and 3 ofvarying inclinations. The section l has the greatest inclination, thesection 2 has a less inclination, while the section 3 has the leastinclination. The chamber lis the largest and longest section and theroof is highest, while the chamber 2 is shorter and has a. lower roof,the section 3 being'the shortest of the three sections. The junctions ofthe three sections are gradually curved, as at It and 5. t

The upper end of the furnace is provided with' a chimney 6, the lowerpart of which is provided with a charging-door 7, through which the oreis fed to the upper chamber. The iioor of the furnace is provided with awater-jacket v8, which extends through the three sections.

The roof of the section l is provided with one or morecombustion-chambers. In this embodiment two are provided, 9 and 10,which are arranged at anv incline from the horizontal and also at anangle to the axis of the section 1.

v heat.

11 and 12 designate oil-burners for the respective combustion-chambers 9and 10.

13 and 14 are combustion-chambers for the sections 2 and 3,respectively, which are both arranged at an incline to the horizontaland also at an angle to the respective sections with which they connect.

15 and 16 are oil-burners for the respective combustion-chambers 13 and14.

17 is a water-jacketed crucible in a well 18, arranged at the lower endof the furnace. The crucible may rest upon the rails 19. The Crucible isprovided with a slag-spout 20.

21 is a spout through which the metal may be drawn from the bottom ofthe crucible.

22 designates water-pipes communicating with the water-jacket 17.

23 is a water-pipe which conveys Water to the water-jacket 18.

24 is a pipe with which the burners are connected.

25 is a steam-pipe which supplies steam to the burners. p

The outside of the furnace is preferably provided with a steel jacket26.

The floor of the lower end of section 3 preferably extends over the edgeof the crucible 17, as shown in Fig. III.

As shown in Fig. I, the side of the furnace is arched, as at 27, and thebrickwork 28 below the arches 27 may be removed when it is desired torun the crucible out of the furnace.

VThe ore is fed to the upper end of the furnace and slides downgradually through the sections, and the flames from the oil-burnersstrike directly against the oncoming ore, the direction of the flamebeing opposed to the direction of the ore travel, which secures theeconomical and efficient application of The direction of the products ofcombustion is toward the upper end of the furnace, and the monoxid intraveling toward the chimney through the furnace passes through theentire body of the ore and frees the ore of oxygen, and that part of theore which is liquefied iiows down the inclined floor of the furnace intothe crucible 17. The first section of the furnace is larger than theother two sections and will contain more ore. As the burners are locatedabove the ore, a free space is formed between the ore and theburners,-which makes it impossible for the oreto collect and pack aroundthe burners and clog the action of the same, as in the case with acupola or upright style smelter. As the smelting` proceeds the metalcontinues to flow into the crucible, the purer metal sinking to thebottom and being periodically drawn from the spout 21, while the slagfloats to the top of the crucible and passes therefrom through the spout20.

The floorof the iirst section may have an incline, preferably, ofaboutsix inches to the foot, while the second section may have aninclination about four inches to the foot, and the third and lastsection has an inclination through more readily than when in solid form.If the inclination of the bottomwere constant throughout, the -lower endof the .furnace would be exhausted as fast as the ore is reduced and themetal would flow off faster than the ore could be fed from the top. Theore readily travels by gravity down the six-inch grade, and by the timeit has reached the second section it has been roasted. During its travelthrough the second section `with fourinch grade the roasted ore comeswithin the smelting zone and all or nearly all of the ore is reduced toa liquid state, the reduced ore flowing through the second and thirdsections into the crucible. The third section with the two-inch gradeserves to stop any chunks of ore which might pass through the secondsection without becoming fully smelted, and the two-inch grade is suchthat the ore will not travel down it by gravity, but must be reducedbefore flowing down into the crucible.

I regard this invention as new in that the chamber is inclined and thatcombustionchambers are disposed along the inclined chamber andcommunicating therewith and that the burners in the combustion-chambersare directed downwardly.

Furnaces for roasting ores have been invented showing inclined chambersinto which hot air is-fanned from a fireplace; but they were notsmelters, being unprovided with means for producing carbon dioxidthroughout the inclined chamber and changing the carbon dioXid. Such afurnace is shown in the patent granted to Thompson November 22, 1881,No. 250,015. Furnaces havey also been invented with an inclined chamberfor feeding ore to a level melting-chamber, as shown in the patentgranted to Siemens March 15, 1892, No. 470,712; but the smelting is notperformed in the inclined chamber, the latter being merelya feeding androasting chamber. No furnace, to my knowledge, has ever been invented orconstructed with means for successfully smelting iron ore in an inclinedchamber by using liquidfuel heretofore.

One furnace which I have built was forty feet in length, two feet in theclear inside, and with floor-pitches of six, four, and two inches,respectively. In a test run the iron ore showed by analysis metalliciron 56.7, silica and alumina 13.3, sulfur 1.4. The analy.- sis of thelimestone iiux was lime 52.5, silica 6.3 The specific gravity of the oilused in the burners was 20.5. Two barrels of oil were used on an averagein reducing each ton of the charge. After smeltin g the resultant slagconsisted of forty-five per cent. silica and The objectY IOO IIC

alumina, fifty per cent. lime, and tive per cent. iron and otherelements.

While I have shown and described the furnace as an iron-smelter, itshould be understood that it may be used in the smelting of other ores.

It should be understood that I do not limit myself to the particularconstruction herein shown and described, as many changes might be madetherein without departing from the spirit of the invention. -Forinstance, the sections might be more or less and of different pitchesthan specified, the burners might be more or less, and liquid fuelsother than crude petroleum might be used.

The inclined chamber is provided along each side wall with a series ofpoke-holes 29, which are plugged andare capped by removable plates 30.If by any possibility the charge becomes frozen or clogged, thepokeholes provide a means of access to the interior.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-

1. In a smelting-furnace, an inclined chamber, combustion-chambersdisposed along the inclined chambers and communicating therewith, andburners in the combustion-chambers and directed downwardly.

2. In a smelting-furnace, an inclined ch'amber having a licor of varyingpitch, combustion-chambers disposed along the inclined chambercommunicating with the inclined chamber, and liquid-fuel burnersdischarging through the combustion -chambers, toward the oor of theinclined chamber.

3. In a smelting-furnace, an inclined chamber having a floor of varyingpitch, liquidfuel burners disposed along the chamber and directed towardthe floor of said chamber, one section of the chamber being relativelylarger in cross-section than another section.

4. In a smelting-furnace, an inclined chamber having a door of varyingpitch, liquidfuel burners disposed along the chamber and directed towardthe floor, the upper section of the chamber having a higher roof thanthe other.

5. In a smelting-furnace, an inclined chamber having a floor of varyingpitch, one section of the chamber being larger in crosssection thananother section, a combustionchamber communicating with the largersection, and a combustion-chamber communicating with a smaller section,and liquid-fuel burners in the combustion-chambers directed toward thefloor.

6. In a smelting-furnace, an inclined chamber, a plurality ofcombustion-chambers in the roof of the inclined chamber, and liquidfuelburners therein.

7. In a smelting-furnace, an inclined chamber the upper section of whichhas a pitch steeper than a lower section and liquid-fuel burners nearthe roof of the chamber and directed in a general direction theresultant of toward the iioor and toward the upper end of the chamber. Y

8. In a smelting-furnace, an inclined chamber the upper section of whichis larger and has a steeper pitch than a lower section, and liquid fuelburners near the roof of the chamber and directed toward the floor.

9. In a smelting-furnace, an inclined cham- 4ber the upper section ofwhich is larger and has a steeper pitch than a lower section, aplurality of combustion-chambers on the roof communicating with theinclined chamber and distributed along the same, and oil-burners in therespective combustion-chambers.

l0. In asmelting-furnace, an inclined chamber the upper section of whichis larger, longer and of steeper pitch than a lower section, a pluralityof combustion-chambers on the root' communicating with the inclinedchamber and distributed along the same, and oil-burners in therespective combustion-chambers.

l1. In a smelting-furnace, an inclined chamber the upper section ofwhich is larger and has a steeper pitch than a lower section, aplurality of combustion-chambers on the root` communicating with theinclined chamber and distributed along the same, and oil-burners in therespective combustion-chambers, said combustion-chambers being inclinedto the respective sections of the inclined chamber with which theycommunicate.

l2. In asmelting-furnace, an inclined charnber the u ppersection ofwhich is larger, longer and has a steeper pitch than a lower section, aplurality of combustion-chambers on the roof communicating with theinclined chamber and distributed along the same, and oilburners in therespective combustion-chambers, said combustion -chambers being inclinedto the respective sections of the inclined chamber with which theycommunicate.

13. In a smelting-furnace,an inclined chamber having a lioor-of Varyingpitch, liquidfuel burners disposed along the inclined chamber anddirected toward the door, a Well at the lower end of the inclinedchamber, and communicating therewith, and a crucible in the well.

14. Inasmelting-furnace,aninclinedchamber, combustion chambers disposedalong the inclined chamber communicating therewith, and burners in thecombustion-chambers, a well at the lower end of the inclined chamber,and communicating therewith, and a crucible in the well.

l5. In a smelting-furnace,an inclined chamber having a iioor of varyingpitch and liquidfuel burners disposed along the chamber and directeddownwardly, a well at the lower end of the inclined chamber, andcommunicating therewith, and a crucible in the well.

16. In a smeltingfurnace,an inclined chamber havinga iioor of varyingpitch, and liquidfuel burners disposed along the chamber considerablyabove the floor and directed downwardly, a well at the lower end of theinclined ICO IIO

chamber, and communicating therewith, and a crucible in the well.

17. In a smeltingfurnace,an inclined chamber havingafloor ofvaryingpitch,combustion chambers disposed alongthe inclined chambercommunicating with the inclined chamber, and liquid-fuel burnersdischarging through the combustion-chambers, a well at the lower end ofthe inclined chamber, and communicating therewith, and a crucible in thewell.

18. In a smeltingfurnace,an inclined chamber having a floor of varyingpitch, liquidfuel burners disposed along the chamber and directed towardthe floor of the chamber, one section of the chamber being relativelylarger in cross-section, a well vat the lower end of the inclinedchamber, and communicating therewith, anda crucible in the well.

19. In a smeltingfurnace,an inclined chamber having a iloor of varyingpitch, liquidfuel burners disposed along the chamber and directed towardthe oor of the chamber, the upper section of the chamber having a higherroof than the other, a well at the lower end v of the inclined chamber,and communicating therewith, and a crucible in the well.

20. In asmelting-furnace,an inclined chamber having a iioor of varyingpitch, one section of the chamber being larger in cross-section thananother section, a combustion-chaml ber communicating with the largersection,

and a combustion -chamber communicating with a smaller section, andliquid-fuel burners in the combustion-chambers directed toward thefloor, a well in the lower end of the l inclined chamber, andcommunicating therewith, and a crucible in the well.

21. In asmelting-furnace,an inclined chamber, a plurality ofcombustion-chambers in the roof of the inclined chamber, and liquidfuelburners therein, a well at the lower end of the inclined chamber, andcommunicating therewith, and a crucible in the well.

22. In asmeltingfurnace,an inclined chamber the upper section of whichhas a pitch steeper than a lower section and liquid-fuel burners nearthe roof of the chamber and disposed along the chamber and directed in ageneral direction the resultant of toward the Hoor and toward the upperend of the chamber, a well at the lowerend of the inclined chamber, andcommunicating therewith, and a crucible in the well.

23. In a smelting-furnace,an incl-ined chamber the upper section ofwhich is larger and has a steeper pitch than a lower section, andliquid-fuel burners near the roof of the chamber and disposed along thechamber and directed toward the floor, a well at the lower end of theinclined chamber, and communieating therewith, and a crucible in thewell.

24. In a smelting-furnace,an inclined chamber the upper section of whichis larger, longer and of a steeper pitch than a lower section,

and liquid-fuel burners near the roof of the chamber and disposed alongthe chamber and directed toward the floor, a well at the lower end ofthe inclined chamber, andvcommunieating therewith, and a crucible in thewell.

25. In a smelting-furnace, an inclined chamber the upper section ofwhich is larger and has a steeper pitch than a lower section, a pluv berthe upper section of'which is larger, longer and has a steeper pitchthan a lower section, a plurality of combustion-chambers on the roofcommunicating with the inclined chamber and distributed along the same,and oilburners in the respective combustion-chambers, a well at thelower end of the inclined chamber, and communicating therewith, and acrucible in the well.

27. In a smeltingfurnace,an inclined chamber the upper section of whichis larger and has a steeper pitch than a lower section, a plurality ofcombustion-chambers on the roof communicating with the inclined chamberand distributed along the same, and oil-burners in the respectivecombustion-chambers, said combustion-chambers being inclined to therespective sections of the inclined chamber with which they communicate,a well at the lower end of the inclined chamber, and communicatingtherewith, and a crucible in the well.

2S. In a smelting-furnace,an inclined chamber the upper section of whichis larger, longer and has a steeper pitch than a lower section, aplurality of combustion-chambers on the roof communicating with theinclined chamber and distributed along the same, and oil-burners in therespective combustion-chambers, said combustion-chambers being inclinedto the respective sections of the inclined chamber with which theycommunicate, a well at the lower end of the inclined chamber therewith,and communicating therewith, and a crucible in the well.

29. In a smelting-furnace, an inclined chamber having a floor of varyingpitch, liquidfuel burners disposed along the line of the inclinedchamber and directed toward the iioor, a well at the lower end of theinclined chamber, and communicating therewith, and a crucible in thewell, and a liquid-fuel burner in the end wall directed across thecrucible toward the discharge-mouth of the inclined chamber.

30. In a smelting-furnace,an inclined chamber having a floor of varyingpitch and liquidfuel burners disposed along the chamber and directeddownwardly, a well at the lower end of the inclined chamber, andcommunicating therewith, and a crucible in the well, anda liquid-fuelburner in the end wall directed across the crucible toward thedischargemouth of the inclined chamber.

IOO

ILO

IIS

3l. Inasmelting-furnace, an inclined chamber having a floor of varyingpitch, combustion-chambers communicating with the inclined chamber, andliquid-fuel burners discharging through the combustion-chambers, a wellat the lower end of the inclined chamber, and communicating therewith,and a crucible in the well, and a liquid-fuel burner in the end walldirected across the crucible toward the dischargemouth of the inclinedchamber.

32. Inasmelting-fnrnace,aninclined chamber havinga Hoor of varying pitchand liquidfuel burners disposed along the chamber and directeddownwardly, a well at the lower end of the inclined chamber, andcommunicating therewith, and a crucible in the well and a water-jacketalong the floor.

33. In a smelting-furnace, an inclined chamber having a oor of varyingpitch and liquidfuel burners disposed along the chamber and directeddownwardly, a well at the lower end of the inclined chamber, andcommunicating therewith, and a crucible in the well, a chimney at theupper end of the inclined chamber and communicating therewith.

34. In a smelting-furnace, an inclined cham` ber having a floor ofvarying pitch, injectorburners disposed along the chamber and directeddownwardly, a well at the lower end of the inclined chamber andcommunicating therewith, and a crucible in the well.

35. In a smelting-furnace, an inclined chamber, a plurality ofcombustion-chambers in the roof of the inclined chamber andinjectorburners therein.

36. In a smelting-furnace, an inclined chamber, an upper section ofwhich has a pitchsuffcient to feed ore by gravity and a lower section ofwhich has a pitch snfiicient to retard and stop the ore, andinjector-burners disposed along the inclined chamber.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, vinthe presence of two subscribing witnesses, at Los Angeles, in the countyof Los Angeles and State of California, this 2d day of March, 1903.

ELFEGO RIVEROLL.

Witnesses:

GEORGE T. HAGKLEY, Y TILLIE E. ADAM.

